From 1861-1865, during the War Between the States, a wounded soldier laying in a field hospital bleeding to death from a horrific injury to his arm or leg would have it amputated in a few of seconds (repeat seconds) with a draconian surgical saw, with little antiseptic, and sometimes even with no anesthesia.  These were life or death moments and neither time nor tools existed to properly address the issues medically.  Split second decisions were made and  executed in attempt to save lives.   Hard to imagine in this day and time but in its time and under the circumstances these procedures probably represented "best practices" under the situation.

We have all have heard Senator Obama refer to John McCain as one who will preside over the country's, programs, policies and programs with a "hatchet."  He has stated that his competitor, will address the issues with a "scalpel."  In a perfect world, I would favor Mr. Obama's approach.  You can be sure, if I were to find myself bleeding to death from a potentially mortal wound I'd want be to be transported to the finest medical facility in the country, taken to the most organized, state-of-the-art and sanitary operating theater,  and attended to by the smartest most educated and experienced surgical team led by  the best surgeon on earth with a  steady hand and sharp scalpel.  Of course, in my perfect world, I'd want the best possible health insurance on the planet to pay for it.

Unfortunately, sometimes the bleeding and dying bodies pile up so quickly that to approach the problem with the laser-like precision is not only naive but wholly impractical.  As sad as it is, I think  our U.S. Government's bloated and Super Bowl-like spending policies, its self  centered corruption, and its inability to get things done; can be changed more quickly and effectively with a hatchet rather than the scalpel.

While I have come to respect  John McCain on many levels, I am not his biggest fan by any means.   And he may not be the greatest "surgeon in the world" and he may not yield  "the sharpest scalpel."  However, he has demonstrated time and time again that he is willing to put his country and countrymen before his own personal best interest.   I believe, when it comes to health, health care, health savings accounts, government stagnation, the economy, out of control spending, my personal freedom, corporate and government reform, protection of the environment, and the many other difficult and painful issues, we as individuals and as Americans face, there is really only one choice for me.  I'm not stoked about the hatchet approach, but I do believe McCain has a sharp hatchet, a steady hand, and the willingness to use it on himself if he had to help save the rest of us.